Love is a Losing Game
by B.Rhapsody
Summary: A sequel to The Taming of Santana. A few weeks had passed since Artie and Santana's messy break up, and both of them have moved on...or so they thought. R&R
1. Chapter 1

In McKinley, one slushy in the face today will be forgotten the next day. Similar things can be said about high school relationships. Santana was walking proof of that. It was only a few weeks ago that she and Artie ended things. It was a messy break up and a very public one at that. It wasn't like Santana was at home crying herself to sleep. She was nothing if she wasn't resilient. A few weeks had passed, so _Artana _was now a distant memory.

But as strong as Santana was, it still hurt seeing Artie with _her_. She expected him to move on, but not with Quinn. A part of her believed that Artie might have been honest with her when he said he didn't have feelings for her. For a while, she thought she made a mistake breaking up with Artie. When she saw them together, it was a reminder that she was right about leaving him. It was one of those times where Santana wished she was wrong. She had all these feelings boiling up inside of her, but her expression stayed the same. It almost looked like she didn't care that he moved on. She walked right past them like she had done numerous times before. She didn't even make eye contact with Artie, let alone Quinn.

Santana made it to her locker where she gathered her books. A few minutes later, Mercedes and Tina approached her. Things were still not resolved with Brittany and she'd grown closer to Mercedes and Tina because they were the only two who were honest with her during the past few weeks. Of course, their approach was different; Mercedes would call you out in front of everyone while Tina took a calmer approach. Nonetheless, they were honest and Santana needed people who would always tell her the truth. It also helped that they didn't take sides after she broke up with Artie. As grateful as she was for having Mercedes and Tina around, she missed Brittany. After her break-up with Artie, she needed someone close to open up to. She wasn't willing to open up to Mercedes or Tina about Artie; he was still their close friend. Brittany was different; she trusted her more than anyone. It was hard not having Brittany around, but Santana managed.

"Are you with us, girl?" Mercedes asked with a little bit of attitude. A diva hates to be ignored.

"We're going to a movie tonight, do you want to come?" Tina filled her in.

"Unless you have plans with your _man_…" Mercedes smiled as her_ man _made his way over to them.

Santana looked behind her to see him walking towards her. She turned around to face the girls. "He's not _my man_." She smirked.

"Don't you feel bad?" Tina questioned.

"Oh! Not this again." Santana groaned. "I've explained it to you. There is nothing to feel bad about because the two of us reached a wonderful little understanding." She shrugged it off.

"Fine." Tina declared. "We won't bring it up again…plus, your _man_ is here." She smirked.

"Good morning, Finnocence!" Mercedes joked while Tina let out a little laugh.

"Good morning, Mercedes." Finn smiled.

Before Finn could start any small talk, Santana interrupted him. "I have to get to class." She declared before she walked away. No one knew about her and Finn, except for Mercedes and Tina. Somehow they managed to keep it to themselves. She wanted to keep it that way so she hardly spoke to Finn. After all, they did have a clear understanding of their relationship, and talking wasn't really a part of it.

Even though it was Friday, Mr. Schuester was squeezing in as many rehearsals as possible. They were preparing for sectionals and they had a shorter next week because of Thanksgiving. The whole glee club didn't let their personal things get in the way of practice. Santana wasn't bothered that Quinn was sitting in her old seat next to Artie. She expected it. It was uncomfortable in the beginning, but everything seemed to go back to normal.

The practice started in the regular practice room but had ended in the auditorium. Even though everything seemed normal and Santana had moved on, the little things still made her feel a bit jealous. When she saw Mike and Brittany dancing together, it was like they escaped into their own little world. She noticed how Artie and Quinn would joke around in their own little way. Santana couldn't remember if Artie was like that with her. She shook her head slightly and decided to focus on practice. She mentally kicked herself not to think about Artie that way. She was over him.

After practice, Santana somehow walked out with Puck and Finn. Puck was going on about some party that Finn didn't seem all the interested in. Santana knew that Finn would eventually end up going.

"Dude, why are you being such a chick about this?" Puck began. "It's a party. You're single and a lot of girls are going to be there. It's a no brainer."

"I'll think about it." Finn shrugged.

"Fine," Puck replied, unpleased with Finn's reply. "How about you, Santana?"

"As much as I would love to go to a party to see you take advantage of desperate Cheerios, I'll pass."

"Don't worry, San." Puck smirked. "Artie and Quinn won't be there. He's taking her to meet his parents or something."

"She's meeting his parents?" Santana repeated. "Good for them." She quickly stiffened up again.

"It looks like he's moved on. If you want, I can make you forget all about him." Puck smirked suggestively.

"I would never be so selfish to take you away from the desperate flock of Cheerios that sadly think sex with you is actually enjoyable. I would much rather let them learn that disappointing lesson on their own." Santana quipped while Finn let out a little laugh.

"Forget you." Puck shrugged it off. "Ever since you two became single, you're more boring than ever. We used to rule this place. There was never a party we didn't go to. You two need to get over Artie and Rachel."

"I am over Rachel." Finn defended.

"And I'm over Artie, but I am sorry if I don't sleep with you to prove it." Santana mocked. "Maybe it's time for you to grow up, Puck."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Puck questioned.

"You had a good thing with Tina, but you screwed it up." Santana stated. She felt a bit bad when she noticed Puck frown a little. "Just because you made a mistake and screwed up, it doesn't mean you have to go back to being a screw up."

Puck rolled his eyes. "So are you two going to the party tonight because I'm going to need two wingmen to pull off my own Cheerios pyramid, if you know what I mean?" He joked, completely ignoring Santana's advice.

"You just ruined sex for me." Santana stated dryly. "I'll see you boys later." She added before going off to her car.

Santana made it home and found her mother going to the restaurant to work. The weekends were the busiest time. Even though Santana's mom owned the restaurant, she had an incredible work ethic that Santana admired. Santana scrolled through her cell before sending a text to Finn. She told him she was going to the movies and would see him later tonight at her place at 11.

Santana actually had a good time at the movies with Mercedes, Tina, Kurt and Rachel. She wasn't completely friends with Rachel yet, but Santana decided not to push people away. She can't afford to keep pushing people away. Santana arrived back to her house around 11 and sent a text to Finn. He didn't reply. When she called, he didn't reply either. Santana was a bit pissed that she was blown off, but then she started to worry about him. He was always on time for their little late-night meetings.

The knock on the door startled Santana out of her sleep. It took her a second to realize where she was. She had fallen asleep on the couch while flipping through the TV. She got off the couch and made her way to the door. She looked though the little peep hole and opened the door.

"Sorry I'm late…" Finn said.

"What time is it?"

"11:45" Finn replied while looking at his watch. "Were you asleep?"

"I must've fallen asleep waiting for you to show up." She commented with a little attitude. Santana had turned off the TV and made her way to her room. Finn followed.

"I would've come earlier but I couldn't get away from the party." He added while taking a seat on her bed.

"How was it?" Santana asked while she was in the bathroom in her room. She freshened up a little bit and brushed her hair.

"It was actually pretty good." Finn smiled. "You should go next time."

"You know that's not going to happen." Santana made her way out of her bathroom. She saw Finn had already taken off his shoes and letterman jacket. "I'm over these stupid parties."

"Are you mad at me or something? I said I'm sorry for being late. I can't just drop everything and come running to you."

"I don't expect you to drop everything, but I do expect a text or a phone call if you're going to be late. I was actually worried." She admitted. She realized she was being unfair to expect Finn to always run to her whenever she wished.

Finn dug around the pockets of his jacket and found his cell phone. "Wow. Two missed calls and 3 texts." Finn smirked. "You must have really been worried."

"You're usually on time and you know my mother gets home around 3 when her restaurant and bar closes." Santana explained.

"You know, I could be here much earlier if you don't make me go to those parties." Finn reasoned. "I get that we're doing _this _on the down-low, but I can't do anything fun at those parties. I can't drink because I have to drive here. I have to constantly stop Puck from being my wing-man just so I don't have to turn down some girl."

"I'm sorry, Finn." She smirked as she approached him from behind and started rubbing his shoulders. "I can definitely make it up to you." She laid soft kisses on his neck in effort to change the topic of conversation.

"That's a start." He whispered before lying down. Santana shifted on top of him and made her way from kissing his neck to kissing his lips. He let out a little moan before rolling over so that Santana was on her back. Things moved quickly after that like they always have. Their relationship was strictly sexual. Santana made it clear that she did not want romance. Instead of fooling around with Puck, Santana had turned to Finn after her break up with Artie. Puck represented her old self. She liked to think that she'd moved on and grown up. Finn was more reliable and she could trust him to be her friend with benefits.

The next morning, Santana woke up and found that Finn was still lying down next to her. She shot straight up and looked at the time. Finn would usually leave before her mother would show up. Now it was 7:30 AM and her mother was definitely home from work. Santana came up with a way to sneak Finn out of her place. Once Santana opened her bedroom door and took two quiet steps, her plan was ruined.

"I know that my daughter is not trying to sneak a boy out of her room." Her mother confronted in a loud and demanding voice, which always startled Santana.

Just like that, she knew that her little fling with Finn will never be the same.

And all that Santana could think about is how Artie would react.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**So…I'm back! I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter to the sequel of The Taming of Santana. The reviews and comments I received on The Taming of Santana were astounding. I'm so thankful to everyone who reviewed. I know it's been a while, but I needed some time to get this chapter just right. I hope I didn't let anyone down so far.**_

_**This story might feel like a Santana-Finn, Artie-Quinn story at times, but I wanted to develop the story to see how and why they will get back together. I'm also going to try involving other glee club members. I hope to have your trust so that you'll keep reading, so as always…**_

_**Read and Review, Please and Thank You! **_


	2. Chapter 2

To say that the rest of Santana's morning was awkward would be an understatement. If Finn ever wondered where Santana got her notorious temperament, he didn't have to look further than Santana's mother. Finn had no idea what to expect when Santana's mother, Gloria, sat them down in the living room. Finn and Santana sat on opposite ends of the couch and her mother across of them. The silence was alarming. Finn kept fidgeting nervously and avoided eye contact with her mother. Santana, on the other hand, was pretty laid back about this. To be fair, this isn't her first time getting in trouble with her mother.

"Is this what you do when I'm away at work? How often do you bring boys to our home? What do you do if I'm home? Do you go to his house? I don't want to know the answer to those questions. I don't know what to make of this." Her mother began rambling on and on with a series of questions. Santana kept quiet. She knew that this was her mother's way of dealing with this. The real talk would happen later.

After her mother seemed to pause with her lecturing, Santana finally knew what to say. "Mama, I would like to speak with you about this in private. I'm not sure I want Finn around when we speak." Santana admitted with a bit of confidence. She thought she handled that well.

"Why don't you want to talk about this with Finn around? You two had sex. I don't think there is much that you two don't share at this point." Her mother argued. Finn turned a bright shade of red as Santana cringed. "I don't think you should be uncomfortable around him to share your private thoughts and feelings."

"I think some things should remain private." Santana countered, thinking that she made a good point.

"You don't get any more private than having sex with someone, but since you feel this way about Finn, then you are basically telling me that you are not emotionally ready to be having sex." Her mother argued in return.

Santana was at a loss for words. She could usually argue her way out of anything, but not with her mother. Santana didn't know what to say.

"Ms. Lopez," Finn began and Santana instantly felt more nervous. "I understand that this isn't easy for you, and I am sorry if you feel that I disrespected you by being here with your daughter. With that being said, I don't think you should only blame Santana…"

"Of course, I don't blame her. I blame the both of you, but I'm her mother and I can only punish her. Your mother will definitely be getting a call from me soon."

"I understand." He conceded. "I just think you're being unfair. I'm sorry for how things turned out, but I want you to know that I do care about Santana very much. I know you are trying to protect her, but this is Santana. She can protect herself."

"Thank you, Finn." Gloria stated, still annoyed. "I think you should go home now. I will speak to Carole today." She added. Finn followed orders and left immediately.

"Go get ready for breakfast. This is going to be a long morning." Her mother added before leaving the living room.

Santana took her time organizing her room and showering before joining her mother for breakfast. She couldn't keep hiding in her room much longer. She was pissed at herself for letting Finn sleep next to her. They had a deal and it just included sex. Sleep was not part of the deal. He was supposed to leave after. She should have told him to leave, but for some reason it slipped her mind.

Santana was preoccupied with her thoughts by the time she made it to the kitchen. Her mom was a great cook, so the breakfast was amazing, but Santana didn't feel like eating. She sipped her coffee and picked at a muffin in front of her.

"I know you're sexually active." Her mother began after an awkward silence.

"Oh my God!" Santana choked on her coffee. Her mother quickly got to the point.

"I know most girls your age are, but I'm just surprised. First, you never told me you bring boys home. And more importantly, you are with Finn? What happened to you and Artie?" Gloria asked. "He was a nice young man."

Santana usually kept a lot of things to herself. She didn't feel she needed to tell her mother about her break up with Artie. "Finn's a nice guy too."

"I'm sure he is." Gloria added. "I'm afraid you're rushing into a relationship with him. How long ago did you and Artie break up? I'm sure it wasn't that long ago."

Santana shrugged. She wasn't going to explain to her mother that only about week after her breakup with Artie that she started hooking up with Finn. Santana didn't see Finn as a rebound. She just wanted to go back to being with someone without any strings attached. If it wasn't Finn, she would've gone to Puck or any other guy at school. Santana took a stance that relationships are not for her.

"Are you with me, Santana?" Gloria questioned with a frown.

"I don't know what you want me to say. Artie and I broke up. He seemed like a nice guy, but he turned out to be like every other guy I know. I have something good going with Finn and I didn't tell you or anyone for that matter because I don't want to ruin it." Santana didn't mean to say so much so quickly, but she was glad she did. It wasn't like she was completely lying to her mother. She genuinely felt that she had a really good thing going with Finn.

"After I speak with Carole, I'd like to spend the rest of the weekend with you." Her mother suggested.

"That's not necessary." Santana quickly argued. "Plus, I have plans."

"Cancel them." Her mother demanded. "I have been meaning to spend more time with you and now is as good as a time as any to do so."

Santana couldn't talk her way out of this. She also couldn't convince her mother not to tell Finn's mom. She ended up cancelling her plans and texted Finn. She thought it was only fair to give him a heads up about the lecture he was going to get from Carole…and Burt. It was at that moment when Santana realized that once Burt knows, then Kurt is going to know. She knew that her relationship with Finn is going to be the only thing anyone is going to be talking about during school on Monday.

* * *

><p>Before Santana knew it, it was already Monday morning. Even before she made it inside the building, she could hear people talking about her and Finn. Santana wasn't fazed by it. It would only take one other couple to break up or hook up before having the focus shift to them.<p>

Most of Santana's day went by smoothly. She couldn't complain that Rachel was avoiding her and she was used to Cheerios giving her dirty looks. It wasn't until she ran into Artie in the library where things tensed up.

"Hi," Artie whispered as he approached her by one of the empty tables near the back of the library.

Santana looked up from her homework. "Hi." She whispered back.

"How's your math class going along?" He tried to break the ice. The two of them haven't really spoken much. It was very difficult for them to be friends, mostly because they were never just friends.

"It's not that hard." She lied. "How are you? What are you doing here?"

"I needed a book for a paper we're writing in class." He lied also.

"So you're not here to talk to me about Finn?" She raised an eyebrow and she flipped her book closed.

"I knew that you've been hooking up with Finn." Artie revealed. "He told me once you two got serious."

"He did?" Santana's expression softened. "Why would he do that?"

"It's guy code. Bros before…"

"Don't call me a hoe." She interrupted with a little laugh.

"Sorry." Artie laughed.

"So, you're ok with this?"

"Santana, I want you to be happy. If being with Finn makes you happy, then I won't get in the middle of that."

She hated how mature he was being. "Finn is a great guy." She stated, even though she didn't feel very convinced.

"He is."

"Are you happy with Quinn?" she blurted out. "I mean you must be if she met your parents and you met hers."

"Yeah…" he answered with a smile. "Things are going well for us."

Santana forced a smile before focusing on her notebook in front of her. She didn't know how to react. There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them.

"I know you're not ok with seeing me with Quinn, but now that you moved on…" Artie started while sounding unintentionally condescending.

"Shut up, Artie." She interrupted. "I don't care that you're with someone. My problem is Quinn. You told me you had no feelings for her, but she's the first girl you hook up with after we broke up. You lied to me and what's worse is that you're like every other guy I know."

"What I have with Quinn is a relationship. She's more than just a hook up. Don't forget that you're the one who just hooks up." He shot back out of anger before instantly regretting it.

Santana stiffened up. "Right."

"San…" Artie started before being cut off.

"I shouldn't have said anything." She whispered. "As much as it still hurts, I need to finally accept that you are with _her._" She gathered her books before quickly getting up and leaving.

Artie sat there in the library for a couple of minutes thinking about how everything unfolded. He also felt a bit like a fool. He knows Santana and he should've known how hard this break up has been for her. He shouldn't have been fooled by her brave front. It was just for show.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**First of all, I'm sorry for the delay in updating this story. I have been thinking about where I want this story to go, but I've been too busy to actually sit and get it all out. Second, I want to say thanks to everyone who reviews/alerts/favorited (not a real word, but I'm using it) this story. It means so much that everyone is interested in following Artie and Santana's relationship. I hope everyone liked this chapter and enjoyed the drama with Artana. More to come soon!**_

_**Read & Review, Please & Thank you!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Artie's argument with Santana had been on his mind the whole day. He didn't know what it meant for the two of them. After school, Artie and Quinn were in his room studying. It still amazed him how cool his parents were with trusting his girlfriends. He supposed Santana was to thank for that. Artie kept replaying how the scenario with Santana played out while ignoring Quinn as she went on and on about something. He knew he should be paying attention.

"Right?" Quinn asked.

"Huh? What?" Artie said as he refocused.

"Why aren't you listening?" She asked quietly. She was very good at hiding her disappointment.

"I'm just a little distracted." He confided. "I'm listening now. Sorry." He smiled.

She let out a weak smile. "Does this have to do with your argument with Santana?"

"How did you know I talked to her?" Artie frowned.

"The better question is why didn't you tell me you talked to her?" Quinn countered as she stiffened up a little bit. "I'm not the jealous type, but I would like to hear it from you and not some cheerleader."

"I'm sorry. It was no big deal. I actually made things worse with her."

"And that bothers you?" Quinn questioned.

"I don't want to make things more awkward between me and Santana."

"She's hooking up with Finn and you're with me. We're all in the same room for glee club practice at least three times a week. This is already way beyond awkward."

Artie let out a little laugh. "I know…"

"Maybe you feel bad because you still have feelings for Santana."

"What? No." Artie replied quickly. "You will never be a rebound."

"I hope so." She stated with some doubt while diverting her gaze.

"Come on, Quinn." Artie pleaded. "Didn't you just say that you're not the jealous type?"

Quinn stiffened up some more and turned a bit red. "I don't mind you talking to her, or even trying to be friends, but I need you to be honest with me when you say you don't have feelings for her."

"She's with Finn now." He added.

"That's not an answer." Quinn frowned a little bit. "Listen, Artie. I'm going to go home now. You need to think about us and let me know where you want this relationship to go. We've only been together for a few weeks. I'll understand if you feel you rushed into this, but the least you can do is be honest with me."

Artie did not say anything to make Quinn stay. He knew that Quinn was right in asking him about his feelings for Santana. He didn't want to lie to her just so she doesn't leave. He was going to take Quinn's advice and think about his relationships during the past few weeks.

Artie kept replaying how things got so heated with Santana. He regretted not fighting for Santana. She practically broke up with him and he didn't really stand up to her. He could have done more. He should have done more. These thoughts had been racing through his head before he was with Quinn. Once he and Quinn started dating, he started to think less and less about his past relationship with Santana. He was hurt at how things ended, but there is something to be said for Quinn who helped him move on. He couldn't just leave her and go back to Santana.

About half an hour passed by when there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," Artie called out from behind the desk in his room.

"Hey!" Mike said as he made his way in. "Where's Quinn? I thought she'd be here to study with us."

"Yeah, she's not here." Artie stated the obvious.

"Trouble in paradise?" Mike joked as he sat on the ground with his back leaning on the bed as he rummaged through his backpack.

"I guess." he shrugged. "Quinn was here and she pretty much said that she'll understand if I want to get back together with Santana…"

"Wait…" Mike looked up from his book. "She's ok with it?"

"Yeah…she doesn't want to be with me if I'm not over Santana."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." Artie shook his head. Mike let out a little laugh as Artie frowned. "Why are you laughing?"

"This whole thing is unbelievable." Mike chuckled. "You, the guy who plays Angry Birds and Halo and has his mom cut his own hair, has to choose between Santana and Quinn."

Artie laughed. "I didn't think of it that way."

"Even Puckerman wasn't that lucky." Mike added.

"It's not the easiest decision. I care about both of them."

"Isn't Santana with Finn now? What if she doesn't want you back?"

"That's a risk I'll have to take." He replied with confidence. Deep down Artie knew that Santana and Finn were not serious.

"It looks like you made up your mind." Mike smiled.

"I think I have." Artie claimed. "I care about Quinn and maybe I can still be friends with her, but Santana is different. She's like no other girl out there. Santana is the one."

"You sound like a chick." Mike laughed. "Maybe we should study some other time. I have a feeling you've got other things on your mind." He stood up before shoving his books back into his bag.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Artie laughed.

* * *

><p>After her argument with Artie, Santana was happy to be home after a long day. She hated not being able to move on. She knew she still had strong feelings for Artie. Even if they fought and he said some hurtful things, he was still the one person who could get her to open up. It only took a few minutes together in the library for her to admit that she was not used to seeing him with Quinn. Those same few minutes with him were also when she was most honest with herself. She realized how exhausting it was to put on a show for everyone. As much as everyone thought she was ok, she wasn't.<p>

Santana was lying down on her bed and flipping through a magazine when her mom walked into her room. Santana was annoyed that her mom has been keeping such a close watch on her. The perfect example is when her mom barges into the room unannounced as if she will expect to find Santana with some guy.

"How was school?" Santana's mom took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"It was fine. I have loads of studying to do." Santana lied.

"Oh," Her mother paused. "I ran into Finn and his mother at the grocery store before coming home."

"And…" Santana sat up straight.

"Nothing, they're just coming over for dinner tonight."

Santana paused and took a deep breath. She shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not that surprised anymore." Santana got off the bed.

"I want to get to know my daughter's boyfriend." Her mother countered causing Santana to frown.

Santana hated when her mother called Finn her boyfriend, but she couldn't correct her and say _sex buddies_ so Santana kept quiet as her mom made her way out of the room.

"I expect you to set the table soon." Her mother left while closing the door behind her.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, Santana was back in her room getting ready for dinner. She felt nervous about Finn and his family coming over to dinner. It almost felt like she was meeting her real boyfriend's parents. This was moving way too fast for someone who isn't even in a real relationship.<p>

Santana walked out of her room and made it to the living room where her mother had already welcomed Finn, Carole and Burt in. Santana put on a fake smile and joined them in the living room. They all made small talk that Santana found painfully boring and extremely forced. Santana wished Kurt was here. As the only openly gay kid at school, he kind of knew how to handle really these awkward situations.

After dinner, Santana told her mom that she'd make the coffee just so she can escape everyone and have a few minutes to herself. A few minutes later, Finn followed her into the kitchen.

"Hey. Do you need some help?" Finn asked.

"I'm good. You can go back in there." She replied with hopes that he'll leave.

"I just really hate it in there." He explained, causing Santana to turn around and face him. "I'm sorry. I mean the dinner was really good but it was rough in there."

"I know. How about you take the CD player in my room and sing them a song. I heard Quinn's parents love that." Santana teased.

"I only do that in front of the parents of girls that Puck knocks up." Finn shrugged causing Santana to let out a little laugh. "Let's try to speed this dinner up. Is the coffee almost done?"

"Yeah, you can take those plates for the dessert." Santana pointed towards the counter right before leading the way into the living room with the coffee.

Santana and Finn walked into the living room to find their parents in a lively conversation about Thanksgiving.

"Thank you, Gloria. Of course, the decision is up to Finn and Santana." Burt explained.

"Santana won't have a problem with this." Her mom replied.

"What won't I have a problem with?" Santana asked with a forced smile since she knew she was going to hate whatever her mother was up to.

"I was speaking to your father about Thanksgiving and he invited Finn and his family." Her mom smiled. Santana knew what that smile meant and she hated it.

"But since we are spending Thanksgiving holiday with Burt's sister, we are unable to make it."

"Oh." Santana tried to hide her smile.

"I told them that if Finn would like to come up with us alone, then we have no problem with that either." Her mom countered while Santana frowned a little. "The choice is up to Finn."

"Don't you think Thanksgiving is about being with family?" Santana let out an awkward laugh desperately trying to get the point across that she doesn't want Finn around during Thanksgiving.

"I agree, but considering how fast you two have been moving along and how serious _everything_ has gotten, we all agree that maybe your father would like to meet Finn." Burt explained as Santana successfully suppressed her desire to scream out loud. "I mean if I had a daughter, I would want the same thing…"

"I get it, Mr. Hummel." Santana cut him off. She hated how he called it a _situation_.

"What do you think, Finn?" Carole and everyone turned to Finn.

"Um…" Finn looked around nervously. "As much as I would like to spend time with Kurt's aunt, it'll be fun to spend Thanksgiving with Santana's family." He shrugged.

"Excellent!" Gloria replied with a smile. "You and Santana can work out the details."

"Finn, can I speak with you in private?" Santana plastered on the fakest of smiles before leading the way to her room and he followed her inside.

"Do you think that it's ok for me to be in here after what happened last time?" Finn shrugged.

"You cannot be this dumb." She unleashed. "First of all, I don't know how kinky Berry was, but we are so not going to be getting it on with our parents a few feet away in the other room, so that should ease your concerns."

"Ok." He nodded knowing that Santana was pissed. He knew it was best not to argue with her when she was like this.

"Second, we will never have hook-up again. What the hell were you thinking, Finn? Just a few minutes ago we were talking about how awful this dinner was but now you want to spend a long weekend with both my family."

"I know you don't want to do this, but seriously it will be so much better than spending it with Kurt's aunt."

"Yeah, then you're going to love my father." Santana uttered sarcastically. "Hi, I'm Finn Hudson. I was caught screwing your daughter. Where's the turkey?" She teased in a mocking deep voice.

"I don't sound like that." He replied which in turn caused Santana to punch his arm.

"I'm serious. Please don't do this." She pleaded.

"Why not?" Finn sat down on the edge of her bed. "I don't think it's going to be that bad."

"The past few weeks have been horrible," Santana began calmly as she sat down next to Finn. "I was looking forward to this weekend where I can just put it all behind me...even if it's just for a few days."

Finn turned away from facing her and looked straight ahead. "Um…I didn't know you felt that way. I will go tell them that I changed my mind." Finn began as he stood up and headed out of the room. "Actually, I'll tell them tomorrow so it doesn't look like you forced me to do it."

Santana didn't know what it was about what Finn said that kind of made her feel guilty. "Come on, Finn." Santana pleaded. "I'm not forcing you to do this, but you don't want to spend Thanksgiving with my family. Think about it."

"Yeah…you're right. I'll tell my mom and Burt tomorrow." Finn smiled weakly. "I would tell them now, but your mom is a little intimidating and she might blame it on you."

"Thanks, Finn." She let out a little laugh as he exited her room. Santana took a deep breath, fixed her hair and returned to the living room. Luckily for Santana the rest of dinner went on smoothly without any more surprises by her mother.

Santana didn't say much to her mother that night after everyone left. She didn't want to make a big deal about Finn because there was no need to get angry. She knew Finn would talk to his mom about not going. He gave her his word. She wasn't worried.

After everything that happened, Santana knew she could trust Finn.

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**I don't even know where to start other than sorry for the huge delay in updating this story. I keep thinking about it, but I haven't been motivated to write. Nonetheless, if anyone is still reading please review and leave your comments. You never know…it might actually motivate me to keep writing.**_

_**R&R, P&TY!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Santana made it a point to arrive to school up to a minute before classes actually began. This gave her time to avoid socializing with anyone. She was still on the outs with Brittany and there was no way she can even talk to Artie now. She still couldn't understand how she can be the head bitch of McKinley and still be alone. The good thing was that it was the last day of school before Thanksgiving holiday. Before she could get too excited, she had to finish the day and that meant getting through lunch.

The problem with lunch is that for an hour, Santana was forced to be around other students who just relished her non-Cheerios status. It was surprising how many people wanted to see her come down a few pegs. But it wasn't like anyone was confronting her because regardless of her popularity status, she was more than willing to remind anyone who approached her how they do it in Lima Heights (adjacent).

This lunch was different. It was the last day before the holiday and Mr. Schue wanted to see them during lunch instead of keeping them late after school. He said it was a short meeting, which everyone knew would turn out into a Kurt/Rachel/Mercedes bitching competition. Santana walked in early to only find half the glee club seated. Tina, Mercedes and Brittany were in their own conversation while Finn was sitting next to Mike, who was studiously finishing some school assignment.

Santana took a seat on the other side of Finn and gently tapped his thigh to get his attention. "I haven't heard from you in a while. I only got your text about Thanksgiving."

"I thought it would be better to cancel last minute so there would be no time for questions." Finn explained. "I would hate to be confronted by your mom."

"You're right. My mom wouldn't have let it go." She let out a little laugh and Finn smiled weakly. "Just because we're not spending Thanksgiving together, it doesn't mean we can't still be normal…but it's not like we were ever really normal." She smiled.

"I was just giving you space." Finn whispered. "Isn't that what you wanted? Or is this one of those things where I sit around and wait for you to decide if you want me around or not." Even though he was whispering, Santana could tell he was mad. Things got a bit more uncomfortable as more of the glee club filled the choir room.

Santana was taken aback my Finn's comments, but composed herself. "I thought I made our relationship clear. We're just having fun." She whispered coolly, trying to shrug it off. Santana didn't expect him to react this way.

"This isn't fun anymore. It's a lot of work to put up with you and I'm stupid for doing it." Finn whispered a bit angrily. "I like you and you don't even care." For a second, Finn felt that he shouldn't have said that, but then he didn't care. He was irritated by Santana.

"W-What did you say?" Santana raised her voice a little bit, luckily no one heard her since everyone was in their own world.

"I said I like you." Finn looked at her and admitted in a voice slightly louder than a whisper before quickly turning to face the front of the choir room.

"Settle down everyone!" Mr. Schue said as he walked into the room. "I promise this meeting will be a short one…."

Everyone turned their attention to Mr. Schue while Santana tried to regain her composure. After talking to the glee club for about 10 minutes, Miss Pillsbury interrupted them and talked to Mr. Schue in the hallway.

"Is there a way we can leave class school early today? I need to go shopping." Kurt explained.

"But Black Friday isn't until Friday." Tina rationalized.

"He needs to buy an outfit just for his Black Friday shopping." Mercedes answered with a laugh.

"I need something with a lot of give that won't keep me tied down when I'm running around the malls." He added proudly.

"Thank God you will be in Chicago this year and I won't be stuck shopping with you." Mercedes joked as a few others laughed.

"Finn will carry your bags, Hummel." Puck joked.

"No, he bailed on me too." Kurt replied. "He's going to be carrying Santana's bags in Cleveland with her whole family." He snickered.

"You're going to spend the holidays together?" Rachel questioned, unable to hide her shock. "Are you two that serious?"

Finn was a little embarrassed. "We didn't want to say anything, because honestly…" Finn paused as he looked at Santana before turning to face everyone. "It's time to tell everyone the truth."

"The truth is that it's none of your business." Santana interrupted. "You all know that Finn and I started off as sex buddies."

"Ew!" Mercedes and Tina shrieked.

"As of late, I realized how things changed for the better. I don't like labels, but if it helps everyone process this, then yes, we are a very satisfied couple." Santana teased by reaching for Finn's hand. She hoped he wouldn't pull away and embarrass her. Luckily, he didn't.

Before anyone could figure out what just happened, Mr. Schue walked in and began with his lecture.

"Mr. Schue," Rachel began as she stood in front of the classroom and faced him. "I think I can speak for the whole glee club when I say we know we have a lot of work after Thanksgiving and we know how much is riding on sectionals in 2 weeks." She continued on a rant.

"I know, but…"

"We will all think of songs that might work for sectionals and we will practice during our holiday." Rachel stopped to catch her breath. "With that being said, I think we can all be dismissed."

Mr. Schue was quite flabbergasted, but he knew Rachel was right and so he dismissed them so they can continue their lunch break. Everyone quietly left the glee room except for Finn and Santana.

"What was that?" Finn asked.

Santana made eye contact with Artie as he was following Quinn out of the room. She turned her attention quickly back to Finn. "I'm sorry. I know you don't like to play games and you were right that I was being unfair to you."

"Thank you, Santana." Finn smiled.

"I think it's time I take this relationship more seriously. If you're up for it and still not mad at me, you are more than welcome to spend Thanksgiving with us." She smiled as she turned a little red.

"I'd love to." He answered just before pulling her close and giving her a kiss on the lips.

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><p>Artie didn't mean to spy, but he was passing by the room and saw Santana and Finn kissing. He knew he probably stared a second too long, but it was almost like he wanted it to be a mistake. Unfortunately, it was all real and even if he wanted to talk to Santana and try to make their relationship work again, he couldn't. She had made her choice and was finally moving on. He decided to let it go. He didn't want to stop Santana from being happy…even if it wasn't with him.<p>

Artie had made it to Quinn's locker in the middle of the deserted hallways. "Hi…"

"Hi," Quinn practically whispered. "It looks like Santana finally moved on. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, but I wanted to talk to you about yesterday. I owe you an apology." He began.

"You do?" Quinn was puzzled.

"I haven't been fair to you. I think I may have led you on…"

"You're not over her. I get it. I'm glad you told me." Quinn stiffened up. Artie could tell she was angry because she spoke in short sentences in an undeniably bitchy tone.

"I really want to move on and I really do like you…" He stressed.

"I like you too, but I don't want you to be with me just because Santana is with Finn." Quinn stated. "I don't want to be a rebound."

"I know. And as much as I like you, maybe we should take it slow." Artie suggested. "I still want to be with you…"

"We did rush into things." Quinn conceded. "We'll take it slower." She smiled.

He returned the smile. "Good."

"So…how slow are we talking because I would like to give you a kiss?"

"I think that would be fine." He smiled as he pulled her closer and caused her to giggle. She planted a kiss on his lips, which lasted longer than expected. It lasted long enough for Santana to see them as she was leaving the glee practice room.

Santana saw them kissing and she knew that she stared for a second too long, but she just wanted to make sure that what she saw was real. She couldn't help but wonder how everything became so complicated. She took a deep breath and tried to get Artie out of her head. After all, she was with Finn now. It was official.

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Thanks for the reviews for the previous chapter. As you can tell, I like to complicate things. If you remember the prequel to this story, Artie and Santana really hit it off when they spent a weekend together outside of McKinley/Lima. I'm trying to play around with the same idea between Santana and Finn. I have a few thoughts as to where I want Artie and Santana to go in their respective relationships.**_

_**Also, I loved the reviews/feedback and any kind of input from the readers. Please keep them coming.**_

_**R&R, P&TY**_


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